Classes of investments for a teacher's surplus

Abstract

Every man or woman who has any amount over and above living expenses should be seeking some form of investment which will protect that money for future use and also make it produce more money through legitimate enterprises. The legitimate investments which are available come under more or less distinct classifications. Probably the most familiar of them is the investment of money through the purchase of a home. This is generally the first employment of his surplus which the ordinary man or woman looks forward to, and often is the last ever made. Purchase of a home should probably be the aim of every man or woman. The time of that purchase, however, depends entirely on the person's circumstances. Frequently other, smaller forms of investments made first will be an aid to this larger investment in the future. And if a home is bought first, one should not be satisfied, as is too often the case, and neglect to continue to invest. Purchases of farms and of such agricultural projects as orchards or tenant property and the investment of one's money in unimproved real estate in general are, from an investment standpoint, all more or less akin to home purchasing. These things are, however, generally bought more for real income-producing or speculative purposes than is the home. Especial caution is needed also, for promoters of this class of investment not seldom are unscrupulous salesmen, who put off on purchasers who are not thoroughly informed land which they ought never to buy. Often it proves to be neither income-producing nor even salable, and sometimes is even a source of further, and continuing, expense. Another familiar form of investment is that of deposits in a savings bank. This is probably the easiest form for most people to start. In fact, a great many investors in other forms of property make their start with a savings account. Savings banks are very highly rated from the standpoint of safety of the investment. They also pay a good rate of interest, considering the fact of their safety and the ready